"The Dark Stranger"
© VeGirl 2014

We walk to the car, with Vincent's arms around my waist. Nothing more is said, but I know Vincent is telling Esme where we're going. A smile grates his face.

"What's happening?" I can't help the curiosity.

"People stalled towards them and they had to change the whole bondage-thing." Vincent snickers as we get in his car. "They arranged so the people they met only saw four people come walking hand in hand."

"They didn't try to alert them?"

"Gagged."

My brows fly upwards in surprise before I start to snicker. "Esme is a wicked girl."

"The wicked witch of the west."

'Hey, I heard that!' sifts through our communication channel making the laughter lift my spirit.

The moment I sit in the car, I put my hands over the tiny bulge of my stomach, it is barely noticeable, but I try to picture life in there. It is exhilarating to even think that it is possible that something is alive inside you.

Darkness sweep over us and I realise I've been lost in thoughts until Vincent now enter the tunnel to our secret never-land. I look up at him and his features are barely noticeable in the dark.

As the tunnel opens up to another world his beautiful face is clearly visible again and I can't look away from it.

He turns towards me and smile.

"Will Esme take them here?" I say out of the blue, but Vincent already knows who I am referring to.

"Yes, they have already gotten help from our security-people," Vincent says and I exhale relieved.

Things will work out.

We stop by our house and Vincent opens the cardoor for me and offers a hand to help me out. "I can still manage; I'm not that clumsy yet," I smile even if I am grateful for his chivalry.

"You could never be clumsy, my angel."

I smile.

As soon as we enter our house I am wrapped in his arms again. "I can't believe we're having a baby," he murmurs into my hair before he releases me and fall to his knees to caress my stomach. "Hi there, this is your father speaking."

I giggle as he starts to talk to our baby.

To my amazement a swishing motion inside me suddenly startle me. "He moved!" I gasp.

"Really?" Vincent has his hands on my stomach but the little thing inside is still again. "How long have you been pregnant?"

"I don't know..." I say defiantly. "All I know is that my mood have been giving me whiplash for a while."

Vincent gets in his feet again. "And your boobs have been getting bigger." He cups them with a smug grin.

I am first about to back off and slap his arms, but I stand still and revel in his adoration. "And I am horny all the time," I say to his great amusement.

"Me too." He kisses me and passion flares up again.

Another motion inside me interrupts and I gasp and put my hands on my stomach again.

"Hey there little one; it is rude to distract mommy when I am about to bed her." Vincent is talking to my stomach again. "We need some ground rules here, I think."

I giggle.

Mommy, is the word I'm thinking of and it seems too fantastic to be true. "Mom will be thrilled." I smile towards Vincent and in that moment it hits me that my angelic mother probably won't be in such a good mood.

Vincent's now grim face tells me he has read my mind and has the same thoughts. "No, she might be upset," he says somber. "Let's call her!" He smiles upbeat.

"You can't wait to tell her, can you?" I snicker.

"Nope!" He says smug, really emphasizing the last consonant. "That's my prerogative as son in law."

"Enjoy it as long as you can, the second she finds out, she'll have my head on a plate."

* * *

A couple of hours later Vincent and I am still sitting in the garden swing, curled together. We are doing our best to keep an upbeat tone about the baby in the middle of the latest drama.

"I want to tell my mom."

"There's a land-line from the main house."

"So, I can call her?" Hope is lacing my words. "But I don't want to take it over the phone, I want to see her."

He smiles patiently. "I understand; there's a lot to deal with here right now though."

"Yeah, I know." I sigh. "Drama, drama..."

"Yeah, the plain old life or death threats..." His tone is slightly sarcastic, but the smile is honest. "Esme has texted that they're at the main house, we better get going."

"I suppose we better..." I sigh and reluctantly get on my feet. "I just need to pee again before we go."

Vincent snickers.

"Hey, a little support here please," I complain and he wraps his arms around me instantly.

"I'll gladly support you." He sweeps me up in his arms and carries me in the house.

When we arrive at the main house, it is filled with people and commotion. A lot of people seem to be gathered outside the door of one of the larger rooms; the one that used to be church-room when this was a monastery.

"Oh, good that you've finally got here! There is a guy in there with Esme and the prisoners." A guy with unnaturally blond hair met us.

"Prisoners?" Isn't this taking it a little too far?

The blond guy leads us inside, through the commotion outside the main room to even more people inside. This threat against Vincent and me is apparently something that upset people here.

"I thought you'd never come." Esme sigh, but her eyes twinkle teasingly.

"We had stuff to discuss," Vincent says evasive while I walk up to the prisoners.

"Aoleon..." I greet her before I turn to the guy next to her. "I'm sorry but I never caught your name." His eyes has widened as I approached.

"Kent... Kent Makinney," he almost stutters.

"Hi...I wish I could say it is nice to see you, but I am a bit alarmed by your interference in this angel-business. Exactly what is your part in this?"

"I...I just..."

"Nothing, is that what you're telling me?"

"He doesn't have to say anything," Aoleon snaps.

"He pleads the fifth?"

"No, I haven't done any..." His objection is cut short as he from that moment only moves his lips with no sound. It does take me a surprised second before I look over at Esme to find her shrugging with a smug grin.

"Okay, you have the right to remain silent..." I shrug indifferent and instead turn towards Aoleon. "You on the other hand, I would like to know a little more about." I am surprised by my own calm. Bystanders are quite loud and aggressive, but with the occasional glare to silence profanities, I manage to keep my cool.

"Aoleon... my friend..." I sigh and try to find a way to start. "So... I recently found out that I apparently have a sister I knew nothing about."

Aoleon freezes momentarily. "Yeah, one of the famous purebreed..." That moment I realize that she already knew this information and that ticks me off.

"Stop talking like it is a freaking pedigree line!" I growl at her. "You always speak of this pecking order; you are the one that is such an elitist! I'm not like that!"

"It's easy to be generous when you are in the other side if that line."

"What are you talking about?"

"If you weren't "royalty"..." She would have done the air quotes if her hands weren't tied up. "...you might have thought differently."

"Of course I would have been somebody else if I weren't the one I am. Of course I would have thought differently." I am aware that I am talking somewhat in riddles, but words just pour out. "The situation we are born into characterize who we become, but unless you have noticed; I've done my best to change that by building a new character here."

She simply glare at me.

I sigh deeply, but then I recall her lack of surprise by the mentioning of a previously unknown sister. "You know about my sister...?" I'm not fully sure if it is a question or a statement.

Her pupils widen slightly but she remains silent.

"I take that as a yes."

"Yes."

"And while we bonded upstairs, you decided that this was information I had no use for or... was it classified?" I am in a position to test her even if we are on a elevated position in the midst of a crowd. "Who are you to decide that this is irrelevant for me to know?" I say slowly with narrowed eyes and I notice her tremble a hint.

"What's going in here?" A sharp voice cut through the air and people part like the Red Sea did for Moses, or so I've heard. "Aoleon?"

I stare at the one woman I didn't expect to see here. "Do you know her?"

"Of course I know her," the holy queen of angelic mothers snarl. "Is she the one who has filled your head with conspiracy theories?"

I am taken a little aback from the vehement of her words and the intensity behind them. "I am fully capable to make my own decisions; I thought that was the most prominent trait if mine; and the one you disliked the most..." I muster a smile but it is far from honest.

"Don't play games with me!"

"I am not interested in playing neither games nor anything with you!" I snap and first then notice how the room has been eerily quiet since Amitiel strode in here. They now gasp. "I want to be free from you and your conniving ideas."

"You have a position to fill, and either you like it or not, you will do that!"

I can't believe this woman. "No!"

She looks like she is ready to have a fit. "It is this little bastard that has filled your head with this monstrosity of information to make you ignore your purpose."

My mouth falls open. "In heaven you were cool and composed; here you act like a bitch...?"

Okay, that might have been the wrong thing to say to someone that is already upset and throws out orders. The fit that was threatening to erupt, now rise like lava in Vesuvius.

"You are coming with me and that's the final saying! I don't care if I have to keep you locked away until another heir is old enough to take your position as the head if the family; you will come with me. Guards!"

Vincent walks up to me and snakes his arm around my waist despite the frown that deepens on Amitiel's face. "Did she tell you are gonna be a grandmother?"

If anybody have ever lost their face, Amitiel did. Her eyes widens almost as much as her mouth. "What?"

"You're gonna be a grandmother, Vincent and I are having a baby." I look at him and give him a smile and a kiss.

She takes a deep breath while closing her eyes and leaning her head upwards. "Noo!!!" she absolutely screams.

I am startled by her reaction.

"You've tainted our bloodline with a... commoner?" she screams before she spins around and simply disappears in a cloud of smoke as if she was freaking Maleficent.

I am shocked by this whole thing. "Was that all it took to get rid of her, I should have gotten myself knocked up centuries ago," I smile satisfied.

"I would gladly have done it." Vincent smiles and wraps his arms tight around me. "In fact..." He kisses me.

"Is it true?" Aoleon interrupt us and I have momentarily forgotten about her and everybody else that is silently watching us, many of them with their mouths open.

I turn towards Aoleon. "That I'm pregnant, yes." I smile towards Vincent.

"You are willing to give up the throne?"

"Haven't you listened at all?" I sigh tired. "What makes you think I want to live that kind of life? I will never chose power over life."

She opens her mouth to say something but closes it again.

"I have a sister who is more than willing to step up there..." I smile again.

"The brain-dead blond?" Aoleon mumble.

"You do know her!"

"She's my sister."

.